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` PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 24, 1936 .17 Sheets- Sheet 8 Sept 19, 1939- w. T. oLLwrrzER Re. 21,208

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PRINTING MACHINE Original Filed Feb. 24, 1956 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 W. T. GolTLwrrzl-:R Re. 21,208 I PRINTING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 Original Filed Feb. 24, 1936 sept. 19, 1939.

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UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE 21,208 PRINTING MACHINE Walter T. Gollwitzer, Euclid, Ghio, assignor, by v f mesne assignments, to Addressograph-Multi- ,f

graph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corpora.-

y tion of Delaware Original No. 2,132,411, dated October'` 11, 1938,

Serial No'. 65,376, February 24, 1936; Application for reissue August 4, 1939, Serial No.

106 Claims. (Cl. 235-61.9)

This invention relates to printing 4machines of the kind in which impressions are made'from printing devices sequentially fed through the machine and the primary object is to make imi pressions directly from the printing devices as well as to make other impressions under control of the printing devices.

Heretofore printing devices sequentially fed through printing machines have been equipped to print names and'laddresses or other` identification of the shareholders of a corporation, the policyholders of an insurance company, the customers of a public utility or of other groups of persons and impressions have been made directly from the printing devices, for example, on dividend checks for the shareholders, premium notices to the policyholders, bills of the public utilities or on other similar business instruments to be distributed among groups of persons. It

is desirable, however, not only to print names,

and addresses or other identification but alsol to print other information such as numerical accounting data and if such data are printed it may be advantageous to accumulate thetotal `5 of amounts printed or to perform other mathematical operations. It is therefore another object of the invention to equip printing devices so that impressions may be made directly therefrom and also 'so that the printing of other information and, if desired, the performance of nathematical operations may be effected thererom.

It has been proposed to print identifications such as namesand addresses from printing de- 35 vices or the like and to print other information such as numerical accounting data under controlof records perforated or otherwise arranged on cards or the like independent of the printing devices. This required sequencing the printing 40 devices and record cards and comparison or other checking thereof to insure that the impression from the printing device for one person was not made on the business instrument on which an I impression was made under control of the rec- 45 ord card for another person. The comparison or checking has usually been so effected that the machine was stopped when selected of the independently but sequentially fed printing devices and cards did not correspond, a not altogether Such sequencing and comparing of independent printing devices and cards may be avoided by including printing characters for printing a name and address or the likel and control means for eiecting the print- 55 ing of numerical accounting data or thelike on l a single device whereby the entire record to be printed is accommodated on a single device. This, however, still entails assuring that impressions made from the printing characters andunder control of the control means on a par- 5 ticular device be impressed on the same instrument, and hence still another object of my invention is to make impressions directly from a printing and control device and under control of a control'means on the device on the same 10 instrument so that the name or other identification of a particular person will be printed on the same instrument as that on which numerical accounting data or the like for that person are printed. 1

The numerical accounting data or the like printed on different business instruments may vary widely and therefore a further object of my invention is to employ a novel variable printer settable to aiord a Wide variety of combinations of type from which impressions/may be made to print varying numerical accounting data or the like on business instruments, and another object is to set up such a variable printer under control of printing and control devices 'sequen- 25 tially fed through a printing machine in which impressions may be made directly from the devices on the business instruments which are printed in the variable printer.

It is often desirable to totalize the numerical accounting data or the like printed on business instruments or to eiect other mathematical operations based on such data and it is often desirable to prepare a record of such data. Hence other objects of my invention are to employ a calculating machine wherein numerical accountving data printed on business instruments may be totalized or other mathematical operations based on such data'may be performed; to prepare a record of data entered in such a calcu- 40 lating machine; to operate such' a calculating machine under control of printingand control devices sequentially fed through a printing machine to have impressions made directly therefrom; to associate a calculating machine with the variable printer of this invention and to totalize the numeric-al accounting data or the like printed by the variable printeror to perform other mathematical operations and, if desired, to prepare a record of data entered in the calculating machine; and to enable conjoint operation of a calculating machine and variable printer by utilizing for this purpose the same control means on printing and control devices sequentially fed through a machine whereby corresponding operation of the calculating machine on each device locations in which there may be positioned individual indications for each digit that can be printed by the variable printer or entered in the calculating machine but so to do requires relatively large elds on the devices.

. However, such large fields can only be accommodated on printing andcontrol devices of relatively large sizeV and it is advantageous to restrict the size of such devices. vMoreover, such an arrangement of indications requires as many operating parts in the operating means for the variable printer, and for the calculating machine when one is used, as there are possible locations inthe fields for individual digit indications and this makes it difllcult to compactly arrange the variable printer, and when used, the calculating machine, andparticularly operating means therefor. VHence, still further objects of my invention are to arrange at least part of the record on a printing and control device in accordance with anovel system that will enable a large number of digit indications to be accommodated in relatively small fields on printing and control devices of restricted size; to classify the digits, and therefore the indications thereof under the system; to provide novel parts in the operating means capable of effecting printing or entry.of digits in different classes; and to selectively position suchparts, prior to operation thereof, to effect printing or entry of the digit of a selected class.

Printing and control devices are fed through a printing or other machine and are collected and stored in a predetermined sequence as, for example, alphabetically. But it is not always desired to make an impression from the printing characters nor to effect a printing or other operation under control of the control means on every printing and control device in a sequence of devices fed through the machine. Hence, a still further object of my invention is to selectively' make impressions from printing `characters and effect printing or other operations under control of control means on printing `and control devices automatically under control of the devices themselves, and another object is to selectively make impressions directly from the devices under control of the instruments or the like being printed. f

The preparation oi' business instruments is expedited by printing the names or other identifications directly from printing and control devices fed through a printing machine and printing the numerical accounting data or the like under the control of the devices. But mostbusiness instruments also contain additional printed matter such as the name lof the issuing company and like matter re-occurring on every instrument and they also contain other matter such as a date` or a classification designation which, while it re-occurs on a great many instruments, changes from time .to time or otherwise. i dition to this such instruments often contain an account number or other identification which, while it changes from instrument to instrument, vdoes so regularly and in a uniform' manner in contradistinction to the widely varying numerical accounting data or the like which may vary from instrument to instrument or may/be alike on several consecutive or on even distributed instruments. Thus,' a still further object of my invention is to completely print business instruments and ancillary objects are to provide a replaceable form for making identical impressions on all instruments passed through the machine; to enable printing of matter which reoccurs on a number of instruments but which changes from time to time or otherwise such as a date or a classification designation; and to provide for printing matterswhich changes from instrument to instrument in a uniform manner as does an account number or other identification.

,x Many business instruments contain mattei* which is advantageously printed in a contrasting manner as, for example, in distinguishing colors and an example of this is a check on which a signature, date and number are printed preferably in contrasting colors, and a still further object of my invention is to print selected matter on business instruments in a contrasting or distinguishing manner, and an ancillary object is to provide a novel printing couplev wherein impressions may be made on business instruments or the like in contrasting colors.

It is advantageous to perform the various printing operations on business instruments at a plurality of positions in the machine to enable the instruments to be prepared rapidly and therefore further objects of my invention are to provide a plurality of printing positions whereat impressions may be made on business -instru' ment blanks;- to rapidly and accurately pass the blanks through the printing positions; to interrupt or otherwise alter operation of the machine upon improper passage of the blanks through the machine or upon the failure of a blank to advance from one position to another by providing novel safety devices operable by the presence or absence of a blank as the case may be; and to enable the safety devices to be rendered inoperative when so desired as when the machine is initially set in operation.

The preparation of business instruments may also be facilitated by severing the instruments from a web and a further object -of my inven- I tion is to rapidly and uniformly sever blanks for business instruments or the like from a web and an ancillary object isto provide a novel severing device capable of attainingrthis end. l

A further object is to position devices, Vsuch as printing and control devices, accurately relative to means n`the machine through which the devices are fed and thereby insure accurate cooperation of the means in the machine and the devices.

Still further objects of the invention are to I supply power directly to those operable parts of the machine having the highest inertia and indirectly to parts having lower inertia; to utilize relatively short shafts and other power transmitting means and thereby insureI more posiy tive operation of the machine;` to facilitate installation and removal of changeable ycontrol-elements in the machine; and to provide a novel machine or simple and economical construction and efticient and positive operation.'

Other and further objects willappear in the Fig. 3 is a detail view of a cam mounting employed in the machine;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional detail view taken substantially on the line I-l on Fig. 3;

Fig; 5 is a top plan view, drawn to anenlarged scale, of the right hand end of the printing machine as viewed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is `a vertical sectional view taken sub stantially on the line 6-6 on Fig. 1; l

Fig. 7 is a rear elevational view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a view taken substantially on the line 8-8 on Fig. 7; l

Fig. 8A is a sectional detail view taken substantially on the line BA-BA on Fig. 8;

Fig. 9 is a'view taken substantially on the line 9-9 on Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a perspective detail view of an inking roller employed in the printing couple illustrated best in Figs. 7 and 9; v

Fig. 11 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on thevline II-II on Fig. 5;

Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional vlewtaken substantially on the line I2-I2 on Fig, 1;

Fig. 13 is a detail view taken substantially on the line Il--Il on Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line II-Il on Fig. 7;

Fig. 15 is a view similaric Fig. 14 showing the parts in another'position;

Fig. v16 is a detail view of a clutch controlling operation of the `printing couple best illustrated in Figs. 7 and 9;

Fig. 17 is a detail view taken substantially on the line Il-I'l on Fig. 16; l

Fig. 18 is a vertical sectional view taken longitudinally-through the printing device guideway;

Fig. 18A is a rear view of a safety device illustrated in Fig. 18;

Fig. 18B is a fragmentary view similar to Fig.r

18A showing the parts in other positions;

Fig. 19 is a rear view showing the maindrive shaft of the printing machine and the parts mounted thereon;

Fig. 20 isa vertical sectional view taken subl stantiallv on the line 20-20 on Fig. 19:

parts are brokenaway, of the' printing couple 'y shown in Fig. 22;

Fig. 25 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 25-25 on Fig. 24;

Fig. 26 is a top plan view of the variable printer and calculating machine employed in this invention;

Fig. 27 is a side view of the variable printer and calculating machine;

Fig. 28 is a front elevation of the variable printer;

Fig. 29 is a vertical sectional view through the Avariable printer and taken substantially on the line 29-29 on Fig. 28;

Fig. 30 is a perspective detail view of one type segment of the variable printer and the operating means therefor; v

Fig. 31 is an enlarged detail view of a stop device employed .in the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 32;

Fig. 32 is a sectional View taken substantially selected of vthe parts illustrated in Fig. 33 in another position;`

Fig'. 34 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line :I4-34 on Fig. 33;

Fig. 35 is a vertical sectional view of the detector switch mechanism taken substantially on the line 35-35 on Fig. 33 but showing the parts in closed position;

Fig. 36 is a wiring diagram;

Fig. 37 is a view of a typical -business instrument printed in the machine;

Fig. 38 is an elevation of a typical printing device used in'the machine; and

Fig. 39 is a chart illustrating the system-or code under which a record is provided on the printing devices. i

'I'he selected embodiment of thc invention shown in the accompanying drawings is adapted for the preparation of checks and more particularly dividend payment checks ofy a corporation, but it is to be understood that this is merely an illustrative use of the invention for many other kinds of business instruments for many other purposes may be prepared as will be apparent from the following description.

'Ihe number of shareholders in a corporation is often very large and their holdings vary from a few to quite a large number of shares. The

' distribution of a dividend declared by a corporation among its shareholders is usually done by checks and because of a largenumber of shareholders and the variety of their holdings the preparation of the dividend checks has been an arduous and time-consuming task.

One manner in which the preparation of dividend checks has been simplified and speeded up has been -by providing the names or other identiflcation of the shareholders of acorporation on printing devices which have been passed through a printing machine to address or otherwise identify the checks. One form of printing device suitable for this purpose is shown in my Patent 2,030,865, patented February 18, 1936, and while printing of dividend checks by the use of such printing devices facilitated the preparation and distribution thereof it was still necessary to perform other operations on thechecks as, for example, entering of the amounts thereon. Moreoverythe name of the issuing company, the bank upon which the checks were drawn and similar matter re-occurring on all of the checks was 'usually printed thereon priorto passage thereof through a printing machine for addressing or other identification and the printing of this re- Yoccurring matter on the checks has been ,relabe seen that it was necessary to perform a num- 

